JMH,
I'm sorry I missed the fact that you live in the UK. I suggest you take a small holiday, drive to the German gunsmith, nearest you, and see if you can acquire some of the German solution from him, or at least find a source for it. This is what I use, having brought it with me when I moved back from Germany. It usually gives good color with 3 or 4 applications. Alabama is not bothered by too cold weather, or too low humidity, though. Don't leave it overnight, at least boil it. You can card it later. BTW the solution comes in 1 liter containers.
Mike
